Rotary finger scrubbing machine



July 22, 1947.

H. SINGER ROTARY FINGER SCRUBBING MACHINE Filed Oct. 12, I943 aim) swear Patented July 22, 1947 Henry Singer, Honolulu,

Territory of Hawaii Applica'tionOcto'ber 12, 1943, Serial No. 505,983

3 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to the class of toilet and pertains particularly to an improved mechanical device for eliecting the 'cleansingof the fingers.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device in which the finger may be placed gers with a nail brush.

Another object of the invention is to provide a finger cleansing device employing a porous or whipped rubber socketed cylindrical body in which the finger is placed, which can be easily structure so long from the spirit of the claims.

In'the drawingsthe invention as expressed in line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view at top plan of mechanism operating finger cleaner employing unit similar to the unit shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a View partly in vertical longitudinal section andpar'tly in side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Iii-accordance with the present invention there is provided a simplified form for hand use. This 2 form of the device comprises, as shown in Figa cylindrical body of sponge rubber, otherthat there will be no interference with the free passage of water through the pores of the body.

The manner of using thisdevice will be readily apparent. The user after wetting thebody thoroughly will drop a few granules of powdered soap or drops of liquid soap into the socket or cavity scrubbing to the finger.

In Figures 3 to 5 there is illustrated-a mechani cally operated form of the present-finger cleaning In this mechanical construction there is provided a suitable housing base ["4 through the length of which there extends a shaft l5 supin suitable bearings in the end walls of the housingand extending at both ceive, upon each end, a handcrank l6. Within the housing there motor is energized.

Also within the base l4 there is supported a suitable tubular housing, through the length "of which the shaft I5 passes, this housing being at itsends around the shaft so is maintained in position by intergrooved pins 2| which is carried andwhich are 'designed'to" engage in suitable sockets, not specifically identified.

A wall 22 extends up fromth'e block 20 atth'e edges thereof forming the chamber 23 and attached to one side of this wall is -'a Suitable cover such as a rubber sheet or the like, 24, which can be extended across the open top of the chamber 23 to cover the hands, as hereinafter described.

Formed in an opening through the top of the block body 20 are five holes 25 each of which terminates at its bottom short of the bottom of the block 28. Extending upwardly into the bottom of the block 20 are five vertical shafts 26 each of which at its lower end is suitably rotat ably supported in the wall of the tubular housing l9 and extends into the latter where it is connected with a bevel or miter gear 2'! which is in toothed connection with a corresponding gear 28 secured to the shaft l5. At the upper end of each shaft 26 there are formed clutch lugs 29 and these couple with correspondingly formed clutch lugs 30 formed upon the lower end of the stem 3| which extends downwardly from the adjacent hole 25 with which the shaft 26 is aligned and which is integrally connected at its upper end with a cup 32, disposed in the lower part of the hole.

Each of the holes 25' has therein one of the rubber cleansers 33 which generally correspond in form and construction with the hand unit Ii). The lower end of each cleanser extends into a cup 32 and may be secured therein by means of a transversely extending locking pin 34 whereby rotation of the finger cleanser is compelled when the attached shaft 26 is rotated.

In the use of this mechanically operated finger cleaner the user places his hand Within the chamber or pan 23 with each finger extended into a central opening or socket of the rubber cleanser 33. The downward pressure imparted to the cleansers by the insertion of the fingers thereinto keeps the clutching members 29 and 30 of the shafts 26-3! coupled together and it will thus be seen that when the hand is lifted this clutching engagement will be broken due to the fact that such lifting will move the rubber cleansers upwardly and will likewise shift the stem 3| away from the adjacent shafts 26.

While the fingers are disposed within the rubber cleansers a rotary motion may be given thereto by turning the shaft I 5 and the shaft 26with which it is coupled, either by the use of the crank or by the operation of the electric motor ll.

The rubber cleansers will, of course, be soaked with water and soap and consequently some splashing of the soapy solution will occur. By turning the sheet 24 over to cover the top of the chamber 23 the user will be protected against the soapy solution splashing from the chamber or pan. After the device has been used the entire block 20 can be lifted from the base 64 and placed under a faucet so as to wash out the holes as well as the cylindrical finger cleansers located therein.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention herein disclosed provides a simple, novel and effective means of cleansing the fingers, and that the device in its simplest form may be made of such size as to be readily transported so that it can be carried upon trips and used in hotels or other places, as well as at home. The construction of the form of the invention which is designed to be operated mechanically, is such that the device may be readily taken apart for cleaning and reassembled without difficulty and Without requiring mechanical knowledge upon the part of the user.

I claim: 7

1. A device of the character stated, comprising a housing having a shaft extending therethrough, the housing having a top, a body seated upon the top of the housing over the shaft, said body having a series of upwardly opening sockets formed therein, a plurality of shafts extending vertically from and having operative connection with the first shaft, each of said shafts being aligned with the axial center of a socket, a stub shaft extendin through the lower part of said body from within a socket, a separable coupling between each stub shaft and an underlying shaft, a relatively long socketed finger receiving member disposed in each of said sockets, and a connection between each of said members and the" stub shaft extending into the socket in which the member is located, said socketed members being formed of suitable material to have a scrubbing effect upon a finger inserted thereinto, and means for rotating the first shaft to effect simultaneous rotation of the plurality of shafts and the stub shafts connected therewith.

2. A cleaning device of the character stated comprising a housing having an open top defined by an inturned flange, a shaft rotatably supported in and extending horizontally through the housing, a body supported upon the top of the housing on said flange and covering the open top of the housing, said body having a plurality of upwardly opening sockets, means detachably maintaining the body in position upon the top of the housing, a stub shaft extending downwardly from within each socket through the lower part of the body and into the housing, a vertically extending shaft disposed beneath each stub shaft and extending upwardly towards the same and having driving connection with the first shaft, a clutch member connecting each stub shaft with the adjacent end of th underlying upwardly extending shaft, said clutch members being separated as a unit upon lifting the body from the top of a housing, and a socketed finger receiving and cleaning element disposed in each of the said sockets and operatively coupled with the adjacent stub shaft, and means in the housing connected with the first mentioned shaft to rotate the same.

3. A cleaning device of the character stated in claim 1, in which the said body has its top out out to form a basin into which said sockets open.

HENRY SINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,036,889 Sample Apr. 7, 1936 1,996,299 Layland Apr. 2, 1935 2,255,154 Esposito Sept. 9, 1941 1,177,187 Jones Mar. 28, 1916 2,230,404 Healey Feb. 4, 1941 2,306,622 Gordon Dec. 29, 1942 1,837,389 Albany Dec. 22, 1931 1,728,712 Aberle Sept. 17, 1929 1,710,816 Evans Apr, 30, 1929 2,238,554 Copping Apr. 15, 1941 2,318,365 Boysen May 4, 1943 697,797 Brewington Apr. 15, 1902 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 643,018 France 1928 12,853 Great Britain 1908 

